The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  4:2 faithful. The most essential quality of a servant or steward is obedient loyalty to his master (v. 17; 7:25; cf. Matt. 24:45–51; Col. 1:7; 4:7).

  4:3 human court. Paul is not being arrogant or saying that he is above fellow ministers, other Christians, or even certain unbelievers. He is saying that a human verdict on his life is not the one that matters, even if it was his own.

  4:4 nothing against myself. Paul was not aware of any unconfessed or habitual sin in his own life, but his limited understanding assumed that his was not the final verdict (see note on 2 Cor. 1:12). not justified by this. Paul’s own sincere evaluation of his life did not acquit him of all failures to be faithful. the Lord. He is the ultimate and only qualified Judge of any man’s obedience and faithfulness (2 Tim. 2:15). See notes on 2 Cor. 5:9, 10.

  4:5 hidden things of darkness…counsels of the hearts. These refer to the inner motives, thoughts, and attitudes which only God can know. Since final rewards will be based, not just on outward service, but on inward devotion (cf. 10:31), only God can give the praise each deserves. See notes on 3:12–14.

  4:6 these things. Paul is referring to the analogies he used to depict those who minister for the Lord, including himself and Apollos: farmers (3:6–9), builders (3:10–15), and servant-stewards (vv. 1–5). your sakes. Paul’s humility, expressed in light of God’s judgment on the greatest apostles and preachers, was useful to teach believers not to exalt any of them (cf. Gen. 18:27; 32:10; Ex. 3:11; Judg. 6:15; Matt. 3:14; Luke 5:8; John 1:26, 27; Acts 20:19; 2 Cor. 3:5; Eph. 3:8). what is written. God’s faithful servants are to be treated with respect only within the bounds of what is scriptural (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7, 17). puffed up. Pride and arrogance were great problems in the Corinthian church (see vv. 18, 19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4; 2 Cor. 12:20).

  4:7 boast. Pride is deception, since everything a person possesses is from God’s providential hand (cf. 1 Chr. 29:11–16; Job 1:21; James 1:17).

  4:8 full…rich…reigned. In a severe rebuke, Paul heaps on false praise, sarcastically suggesting that those Corinthians who were self-satisfied had already achieved spiritual greatness. They were similar to the Laodiceans (see Rev. 3:17). Cf. Phil 3:12; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4. reign. Yet, Paul genuinely wished it really were the coronation time of the Millennium, so that they all might share in the glory of the Lord.

  4:9 last. The imagery is of condemned prisoners brought into a Roman arena to fight and die; the last ones brought out for slaughter were the grand finale. In His sovereign wisdom and for His ultimate glory, God chose to display the apostles figuratively before men and angels during the present age as just such worthless and condemned spectacles (cf. Matt. 19:28). Like doomed gladiators, they were ridiculed, spit on, imprisoned, and beaten; yet, God glorified His name through them as He used them to build His kingdom.

  4:10 fools…wise. Again using sarcasm, this time on himself as if mimicking the attitude of the proud Corinthians toward him, Paul rebukes them (cf. Acts 17:18).

  4:11–13 The apostles and early preachers lived at the lowest levels of society. While the Corinthians believers thought they were kings (v. 8), the apostle knew he was a suffering slave (cf. 2 Cor. 1:8, 9; 4:8–12; 6:4–10; 11:23–28).

  4:12 our own hands. The apostles did manual labor which Greeks, including some in the church at Corinth, considered beneath their dignity and suitable only for slaves. But Paul was not resentful about any necessary labor needed to support gospel preaching (cf. Acts 18:3; 20:34; 2 Cor. 11:23–28; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8; 2 Tim. 3:12).

  4:13 filth…offscouring. The scum and dregs scraped from a dirty dish or garbage pot, figuratively used of the lowest, most degraded criminals who were often sacrificed in pagan ceremonies. Not in God’s sight, but in the world’s, Paul and his fellow preachers were so designated. What a rebuke of the proud, carnal Corinthians who saw themselves at the top, while the humble apostle considered himself at the bottom.

  4:14 beloved children. Despite their carnal, even sometimes hateful immaturity, Paul always looked on the Corinthian believers with affection (cf. 2 Cor. 12:14, 15; Gal. 4:19; Phil. 1:23–27; 3 John 4). warn. Lit. “put in mind,” with the purpose of admonishing and reproving, presupposing that something is wrong and should be corrected (cf. Matt. 18:15–20; Acts 20:31; 1 Thess. 2:7–12; 5:14).

  4:15 ten thousand instructors. The terms actually say “countless tutors,” referring by hyperbole to an unlimited number of moral guardians used with children. Only Paul was their spiritual father; hence, no one cared like him.

  4:16 imitate me. See 11:1. A bold, but justified exhortation. Spiritual leaders must set an example of Christlikeness to follow (cf. 1 Tim. 4:12; Heb. 13:7)

  4:17 Timothy. He had been so faithfully discipled by Paul that he could be sent in the great apostle’s place with confidence that he would perfectly represent him. Cf. 2 Tim. 2:2; 3:10–14. I teach. Referring to doctrine, not advice. By his own instruction and example, Timothy would reinforce the eternal truths Paul had taught him.

  4:18, 19 puffed up. They were arrogant, thinking they would never have to face Paul again. But, if God allowed, he was planning to see them soon. He would not let their proud sinning go unchallenged, for their own sake as well as the gospel’s (cf. Heb. 12:6). The reality of how much real spiritual power they had would become clear in that confrontation.

  4:20 word…power. Spiritual character is measured not by the impressiveness of words, but in the power of the life (cf. Matt. 7:21–23).

  4:21 rod. Spiritual leaders need to use the rod of correction if people persist in sin. The pattern for that correction is illustrated and explained in 5:1–13; cf. Matt. 18:15–18.

  1 Corinthians 5

  5:1 sexual immorality. This sin was so vile that even the church’s pagan neighbors were doubtless scandalized by it. The Corinthians had rationalized or minimized this sin which was common knowledge, even though Paul had written them before about it (v. 9). The Gr. for “immorality” is the root of the Eng. word “pornography.” his father’s wife. The man’s stepmother, with whom having sexual relations bore the same sinful stigma as if between him and his natural mother. Incest was punishable by death in the OT (Lev. 18:7, 8, 29; cf. Deut. 22:30) and was both uncommon (“not even named”) and illegal under Roman law.

  5:2 puffed up. So arrogant and carnal as to excuse even that extreme wickedness. taken away. Excommunicated as in v. 7 (see Matt 18:15–17; Eph. 5:3, 11; 2 Thess. 3:6).

  5:3 already judged. Paul had passed judgment on the sinner, and the church also needed to.

  5:4 name of our Lord. Consistent with His holy person and will. gathered together. This action is to be done when the church meets publicly (see notes on Matt. 18:15–18). power. Authority is in view. Action against unrepentant sinning in the church carries the weight of the Lord’s authority.

  5:5 deliver…to Satan. “Deliver” is a strong term, used of judicial sentencing. This is equal to excommunicating the professed believer. It amounts to putting that person out of the blessing of Christian worship and fellowship by thrusting him into Satan’s realm, the world system. See note on 1 Tim. 1:20. the destruction of the flesh. This refers to divine chastening for sin that can result in illness and even death. See notes on 11:29–32; cf. Acts 5:1–11. spirit…saved. The unrepentant person may suffer greatly under God’s judgment, but will not be an evil influence in the church; and he will more likely be saved under that judgment than if tolerated and accepted in the church. day of the Lord Jesus. This is the time when the Lord returns with His rewards for His people. See note on 1:8.

  5:6 glorying. Better, “boasting.” It was not good because their proud sense of satisfaction blinded them to their duty in regard to blatant sin that devastated the church. leaven. See note on Mark 8:15. In Scripture, it is used to represent influence, in most cases evil influence, although in Matt. 13:33 it refers to the good influence of the kingdom of heaven (cf. Ex. 13:3, 7). whole lump. When tolerated, sin will permeate and corrupt the whole local church
.

  5:7 Christ, our Passover. Just as unleavened bread symbolized being freed from Egypt by the Passover (Ex. 12:15–17), so the church is to be unleavened, since it has been separated from the dominion of sin and death by the perfect Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is, therefore, to remove everything sinful in order to be separate from the old life, including the influence of sinful church members.

  5:8 keep the feast. In contrast to the OT Passover feast celebrated annually, believers constantly celebrate the “feast” of the new Passover—Jesus Christ. As the Jews who celebrate Passover do so with unleavened bread, so believers celebrate their continual Passover with unleavened lives.

  5:9 my epistle. A previous letter that Paul had written the church at Corinth instructed them to disassociate with the immoral (cf. v. 11; 2 Thess. 3:6–15).

  5:10 people of this world. Evidently, the church had misinterpreted the advice in that letter and had stopped having contact with the unsaved in the world, while continuing to tolerate the sin of those in the church, which was even more dangerous to the fellowship. See John 17:15, 18. God intends us to be in the world as witnesses (cf. Matt. 5:13–16; Acts 1:8; Phil. 2:15).

  5:11 named a brother. Paul clarifies his intention in the earlier letter. He expected them to disassociate with all who said they were brothers, but had a consistent pattern of sin. not even to eat. The meal was a sign of acceptance and fellowship in those days. See 2 Thess. 3:6, 14.

  5:12, 13 outside. Paul never intended himself or the church to be judges of unbelievers outside the church, but to judge those inside (cf. 1 Pet. 4:17). Those on the outside are for God to judge and believers to evangelize. Those who sin on the inside, the church is to put out. Verse 13 is quoted from Deut. 17:7.

  1 Corinthians 6

  6:1 Dare. Suing another believer in a secular law court is a daring act of disobedience because of its implications related to all sin—the displeasure of God. a matter against another. The phrase in Gr. was commonly used of a lawsuit (“go to law”). unrighteous. This does not refer to their moral character, but to their unsaved spiritual condition. before the saints. Believers are to settle all issues between themselves within the church.

  6:2 judge the world. Because Christians will assist Christ to judge the world in the millennial kingdom (Rev. 2:26, 27; 3:21; cf. Dan. 7:22), they are more than qualified with the truth, the Spirit, the gifts, and the resources they presently have in Him to settle small matters that come up among themselves in this present life.

  6:3 judge angels. The Gr. word can mean “rule or govern.” Since the Lord Himself will judge fallen angels (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6), it is likely this means we will have some rule in eternity over holy angels. Since angels are “ministering spirits” to serve the saints (Heb. 1:14), it seems reasonable that they will serve us in glory.

  6:4 This is a difficult verse to translate, as suggested by the widely varying Eng. renderings. But the basic meaning is clear: when Christians have earthly quarrels and disputes among themselves, it is inconceivable that they would turn to those least qualified (unbelievers) to resolve the matter. The most legally untrained believers, who know the Word of God and are obedient to the Spirit, are far more competent to settle disagreements between believers than the most experienced unbeliever, void of God’s truth and Spirit.

  6:5, 6 shame. Such conduct as suing a fellow believer is not only a sinful shame (v. 5), but a complete failure to act obediently and righteously. Christians who take fellow Christians to court suffer moral defeat and spiritual loss even before the case is heard, and they become subject to divine chastening (cf. Heb. 12:3ff.).

  6:7 Why…not…accept wrong? The implied answer is because of the shameful sin (v. 5) and the moral defeat (v. 8) that result from selfishness, a willingness to discredit God, His wisdom, power, and sovereign purpose, and to harm the church and the testimony of Christ’s gospel. cheated. Christians have no right to insist on legal recourse in a public court. It is far better to trust God’s sovereign purposes in trouble and lose financially, than to be disobedient and suffer spiritually (see notes on Matt. 5:39; 18:21–34).

  6:8 you yourselves do wrong and cheat. He is referring to those who sue their brothers in Christ being as guilty of the same misconduct they are suing to rectify.

  6:9, 10 This catalog of sins, though not exhaustive, represents the major types of moral sin that characterize the unsaved.

  6:9 not inherit the kingdom. The kingdom is the spiritual sphere of salvation where God rules as king over all who belong to Him by faith (see notes on Matt. 5:3, 10). All believers are in that spiritual kingdom, yet are waiting to enter into the full inheritance of it in the age to come. People who are characterized by these iniquities are not saved (v. 10). See notes on 1 John 3:9, 10. While believers can and do commit these sins, they do not characterize them as an unbroken life pattern. When they do, it demonstrates that the person is not in God’s kingdom. True believers who do sin, resent that sin and seek to gain the victory over it (cf. Rom. 7:14–25). fornicators. All who indulge in sexual immorality, but particularly unmarried persons. idolaters. Those who worship any false god or follow any false religious system. adulterers. Married persons who indulge in sexual acts outside their marriage. homosexuals…sodomites. These terms refer to those who exchange and corrupt normal male-female sexual roles and relations. Transvestism, sex changes, and other gender perversions are included (cf. Gen. 1:27; Deut. 22:5). Sodomites are so-called because the sin of male-male sex dominated the city of Sodom (Gen. 18:20; 19:4, 5). This sinful perversion is condemned always, in any form, by Scripture (cf. Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:26, 27; 1 Tim. 1:10).

  6:10 thieves…covetous. Both are guilty of the same basic sin of greed. Those who are covetous desire what belongs to others; thieves actually take it. revilers. People who try to destroy others with words. extortioners. Swindlers and embezzlers who steal indirectly, taking unfair advantage of others for their own financial gain.

  6:11 some of you. Though not all Christians have been guilty of all those particular sins, every Christian is equally an ex-sinner, since Christ came to save sinners (cf. Matt. 9:13; Rom. 5:20). Some who used to have those patterns of sinful life were falling into those old sins again, and needed reminding that if they went all the way back to live as they used to, they were not going to inherit eternal salvation, because it would indicate that they never were saved (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). washed. Refers to new life, through spiritual cleansing and regeneration (cf. John 3:3–8; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10; Titus 3:5). sanctified. This results in new behavior, which a transformed life always produces. Sin’s total domination is broken and replaced by a new pattern of obedience and holiness. Though not perfection, this is a new direction (see Rom. 6:17, 18, 22). justified. This refers to a new standing before God, in which the Christian is clothed in Christ’s righteousness. In His death, the believer’s sins were put to His account and He suffered for them, so that His righteousness might be put to an account, so that we might be blessed for it (Rom. 3:26; 4:22–25; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:18). by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the agent of salvation’s transformation (cf. John 3:3–5).

  6:12–20 As one who is washed, sanctified, and justified eternally by God’s grace, the believer is set free (cf. Rom. 8:21, 33; Gal. 5:1, 13). The Corinthians had done with that freedom just what Paul had warned the Galatians not to do: “Do not use your liberty as an opportunity for the flesh” (Gal. 5:13). So in this section, Paul exposed the error in the Corinthian Christians’ rationalization that they were free to sin, because it was covered by God’s grace.

  6:12 All things are lawful…not helpful. That may have been a Corinthian slogan. It was true that no matter what sins a believer commits, God forgives (Eph. 1:7), but not everything they did was profitable or beneficial. The price of abusing freedom and grace was very high. Sin always produces loss. power. Sin has power. The word means “mastered” (cf. Rom. 6:14), and no sin is more enslaving than sexual sin. While it can never be the unbroken patt
ern of a true believer’s life, it can be the recurring habit that saps joy, peace, usefulness and brings divine chastening and even church discipline (cf. 5:1ff.). See notes on 1 Thess. 4:3–5. Sexual sin controls, so the believer must never allow sin to have that control, but must master it in the Lord’s strength (see note on 9:27). Paul categorically rejects the ungodly notion that freedom in Christ gives license to sin (cf. Rom. 7:6; 8:13, 21).

  6:13 Foods…stomach. Perhaps this was a popular proverb to celebrate the idea that sex is purely biological, like eating. The influence of philosophical dualism may have contributed to this idea since it made only the body evil; therefore, what one did physically was not preventable and thus inconsequential. Because the relationship between these two is purely biological and temporal, the Corinthians, like many of their pagan friends, probably used that analogy to justify sexual immorality. the body…the Lord. Paul rejects the convenient justifying analogy. Bodies and food are temporal relations that will perish.

  6:14 Cf. Acts 2:32; Eph. 1:19. Bodies of believers and the Lord have an eternal relationship that will never perish. He is referring to the believer’s body to be changed, raised, glorified, and made heavenly. See 15:35–54; cf. Phil. 3:20, 21.

  6:15 members. The believer’s body is not only for the Lord here and now (v. 14) but is of the Lord, a part of His body, the church (Eph. 1:22, 23). The Christian’s body is a spiritual temple in which the Spirit of Christ lives (12:3; John 7:38, 39; 20:22; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9; 2 Cor. 6:16); therefore, when a believer commits a sexual sin, it involves Christ with a harlot. All sexual sin is harlotry. Certainly not! These words translate the strongest Gr. negative—”may it never be so.”